Schumacher not making predictions

Since Ferrari's surprisingly difficult start to the 2005 season, many have been anticipating a return to form by the reigning champions. However, with seven Grands Prix gone Ferrari has yet to win a race and even Michael Schumacher is not willing to speculate if the team's fortunes will take an upturn in the near future.

Michael Schumacher.

Photo by xpb.cc.

"I prefer to skip that one," said the German when asked how Ferrari may fare in the upcoming back-to-back races in Canada and America. "Lately, I have not made very accurate predictions. I will be going to Montreal and there, with the team, will be doing the best that we can."

"First of all we have to wait for free practice on Friday and only then will we have a clearer idea of how things stand. There are many teams who have worked hard and so I would prefer to wait before evaluating the situation. What is certain is that we will be fighting right down to the last".

While Schumacher took some time out in the States, Ferrari was hard at work on the test track. Teammate Rubens Barrichello and test drivers Luca Badoer and Marc Gen? put in the mileage at Silverstone in the UK and at the Italian circuit of Monza.

"We are tyre testing exhaustively but with more races this year, there is not so much time to develop the car in between the races," said Barrichello of the Scuderia's test programme. "It is a difficult situation but we are doing our best to manage it."

Ferrari has a hard task ahead of it to stay in the title fight this year but it's still too early to write the team off, despite its difficulties. For Schumacher it's just a matter of continuing to making progress to return Ferrari to its winning ways. "We want to get back to the top," he stated.

"If there had not been the untidy start at Nurburgring that compromised my race, Rubens and I would now be in a very good position. However, we have taken a step in the right direction and it is in this direction that we have to continue."